DON’T MISS THIS
With the frenzy of returning to my classroom after 18 months of teaching from home (and having a baby in the midst of it), I went back to work with a fervor I had not felt for a long time. Some of my coworkers had already returned to campus as it had slowly reopened in phases. And now it was my turn. I had the mentality of an athlete who had just stepped into the game from keeping the bench warm. I approached each day with so much energy that had been pent up inside – ready to problem solve, take on multiple tasks, and approach everything with 110% effort. But that fire was not sustainable. And I burned out quickly.
One day I came home from work, physically exhausted and with my mind still racing with a to-do list for the next day. I sat next to my daughter who was playing quietly, and then heard a gentle voice say, “Slow down. Don’t miss this.” It called to me with such a distinct message. It was all I needed to halt my multitasking brain and keep my body still, turn off my to-do list, and just “be.” It was not until then that I noticed how deeply my daughter had been looking at me, as she studied my distracted face, looking for a way to connect.
Today’s Gospel reading closes with “Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home” (Lk 1:56). I wonder what Mary did for those three months. There were certainly many things that could have raced through her mind. Did she reflect further about accepting God’s task, or did she worry about becoming a mother? Did she and Elizabeth keep themselves busy, or did Mary simply sit with her thoughts? Perhaps the sentence that abruptly concludes today’s Gospel is a reminder to turn off one’s list of things to do in the future, and, instead, stop and rest in the present.
How does God call you to be in the moment? When you feel flustered or overwhelmed, how might slowing down with God help you focus on the “now”? What might you connect with if you give yourself permission to pause and embrace the moment?
Nathalie Barona